Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. . . Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. Joshua 1:2-5
Years ago, I read of an airline pilot who saved the lives of all those on board his plane by performing a daring landing in a river after both engines of his plane failed. He was a real-life hero, appropriately lauded for his bravery. I also remember, however, reading about another airline pilot who lost his license for flying while intoxicated. Two pilots – one a hero and one an alcoholic – both whose lives became defined by one particular day.
I was still enslaved my addiction at the time, struggling just to get sober. I knew which pilot I wanted to be like. But sadly, I also knew which one I was more like. I longed for some opportunity to be heroic. I wanted to be the guy who saved a hundred lives. If I did something valiant, then maybe I could feel better about myself, resting in the knowledge that others thought highly of me.
Here’s the thing though – Those two pilots’ lives weren’t defined simply by one event. The hero who landed in a river did so because of years of training and experience. The pilot who flew drunk didn’t just make one bad decision. Both of those pilot’s actions on their life-defining days were the culmination of a thousand actions on a thousand days, leading up to that day. It was how they lived prior to that moment that determined their actions in that moment.
The story of Joshua illustrates this. Joshua was Moses’ assistant and, upon Moses’ death, assumed leadership of the Israelites. In my mind, Joshua’s life-defining achievement up to this point, came when Moses sent him to spy on the land of Canaan. Years prior, Moses sent 12 spies into Canaan and when they returned, 10 of them quaked in fear. Only Joshua and Caleb believed in God, bravely standing up to their peers, recommending conquest of Canaan. Joshua didn’t just become a hero in that one event though. He acted faithfully on that day because he’d walked by faith every day prior to that day. He followed God and so, when tested, Joshua rose to the occasion, revealing his heroic character.
Heroes aren’t made in a single moment. Rather, they’re made in a thousand daily actions. I may have life-defining moments that reveal my character, but if I desire to be known for my faith, integrity, and virtue, then I must pursue God’s will for my life every day. I will never save a plane full of people, but I will be known for the sum of all my actions on all my days.